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A Used Porsche 944 Made Hilton’s CEO Hate Sports Cars

Back in the olden days, car nuts like you and I had it easy. Cars were far simpler due to fewer electronics, and naturally-aspirated engines are historically more reliable and easier to fix than force-fed lumps. Contrary to what some of us may think nowadays, there are cars we currently refer to as classics that don’t fit this narrative.
1983 Porsche 944 63 photos
Photo: humbertoroca on Bring a Trailer / edited by autoevolution
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Christopher J. Nassetta, the chief executive officer of Hilton Worldwide, told CNBC that a Porsche 944 was the worst financial decision he’d ever made. Nassetta was in his 20s when he laid eyes on the sleek-looking sports car, sitting idly in a used lot. Even though Nassetta made $17k per year back then, he took out a loan to cover part of the rear-wheel-drive German sports car’s $20k asking price.

Currently worth millions over millions of dollars, the chief executive officer of Hilton Worldwide remembers he could’ve done better. Not only was it a bad financial decision, but almost immediately, Nassetta had to splurge $2k on a replacement steering rack. The nightmare had only started, with new issues appearing soon thereafter.

He didn’t go into what sort of problems occurred after the steering rack went kaput, but said problems may have been pretty serious. Nassetta sold the Porsche 944 after 18 months, pledging to never buy a sports car ever again.

“Money pit” may not be the right way to describe a used 944, although those really used ones certainly are. In Nassetta’s case, there’s no denying that it was a bad decision taken at the wrong time. A sour experience like this is one is enough to turn an enthusiast into a doubter.

Chris serves as the chief exec of the American multinational hospitality company since 2007, the year he purchased a brand-new sedan from Lexus rather than Mercedes-Benz or Audi. The four-door luxobarge soldiers on without skipping a beat. Nassetta racked up more than 115,000 trouble-free miles (185,075 kilometers) on it.

His other car is a classic Bronco, a 1969 model that he purchased in 2020. It was barely running three years ago, but thanks to his trustworthy mechanic, the four-by-four utility vehicle was returned to its former glory in 2022.

Nassetta and his mechanic repaired every bit and bob. He told CNBC that resurrecting the Bronco gave him great joy, which is only natural considering his job’s nature.

Of the three automobiles mentioned, the 944 is – without a shadow of a doubt – the most exciting. The first-gen Bronco is the right stuff when you’re going off the beaten path or simply cruising. As for the Lexus, well, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. But it’s so, so boring.

On an ending note, the 944 was the most successful sibling of the 924-944-968 trio. Approximately 171,000 examples of the breed were sold between 1982 and 1991, with every single one of them assembled by Audi in Neckarsulm.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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